Cylinder head aligning means



Feb. 6, 1962 J. T. CLARK CYLINDER HEAD ALIGNING MEANS- Filed July 2,1959 3,019,521 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 filice 3,019,521 CYLINDER HEADALIGNING MEANS James T. Clark, Fort Morgan, Cola, assigner to flash-Feather Manufacturing (10., Fort Morgan, Colo a corporation of ColoradoFiled July 2, 1959, Ser. No. 824,541 1 Claim. (Cl. 29-283) Thisinvention relates to means for aligning the head gaskets and cylinderheads of an automotive engine in accurate register with thecorresponding openings and passages in the cylinder block thereof. Inthe past, cylinder blocks were provided with threaded studs projectingfrom the block upon which the head gasket and cylinder head could beplaced so as to accurately retain them in place while clamping nuts werethreaded on the studs. 'It is the present practise to eliminate thestuds in the cylinder blocks and provide the latter with threadedsockets for receiving cap screws inserted through the cylinder head andthrough the head gasket. Without the studs, it is exceedingly difficultto align and retain the gasket and the cylinder head in position for thereception of the cap screws.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple, highlyefficient, easily used and economical means for quickly and easilyaligning and retaining the head gasket and cylinder head in place on thecylinder block for the accurate insertion of the retaining cap screwswithout damage to the gasket.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of gripping tongs employed in the improvedcylinder head aligning means;

FIG. 2 is a side View of an aligning plug with which the tongs of FIG. 1are used;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section through the aligning plug of FIG. 2illustrating the tongs of FIG. 1 in gripping relation therewith;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the tongs;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the aligning plug;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross section through a portion of aconventional cylinder block illustrating the aligning plug of FIG. 2 inplace therein; and

FIG. 7 is a similar cross section illustrating a conventional headgasket and cylinder head in place on the aligning plug.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 portions of an internal combustion engine have beenfragmentarily indicated as follows: cylinder block 21, head gasket 22,cylinder head 23, threaded cap screw sockets 24 and cap screw passages25. The improved head gasket aligning means consists of a set ofelements, each set containing one of the tongs of FIG. 1 and a pluralityof the plugs of FIG. 2.

The tongs consist of a single length of resilient fiat wire preformed toform a finger-engaging loop at its midpoint from which two resilientwire legs 11 and 12 de pend. The resiliency of the wire tends toconstantly urge the two legs apart within the confines of a confiningband 13 positioned immediately below the loop 10. Each leg is twisted 90intermediate its extremities, as indicated at 14, so that the lowerextremities of the legs lie in a common plane and in the plane of theloop 10.

The lower extremity of each leg is narrowed, as indicated at 15, and thenarrowed portions are notched to form outwardly extending hooks 16. Thetwo legs can be forced together in overlapping relation and whenreleased will expand to the normal position of FIG. 1.

The aligning plugs are formed with cylindrical, enlarged upper portions17 and cylindrical lower portions 16 of reduced diameter. The diameterof the upper portions 1'7 is such as will pass snugly through the capscrew passages in the cylinder head 23 and the diameter of the lowerportions 18 is such as to pass freely and snugly into the threaded capscrew sockets 24 in the cylinder block 21. The upper extremity of eachplug is drilled and broached to form a hollow internal cavity 19 openingto the top of the plug. The neck or opening of the cavity is surroundedby an inwardly extending hooked flange 26.

It can be seen in FIG. 3 that if the legs 11 and 12 of the tongs arecompressed into overlapping relation, they can be inserted into thecavity 19 of a plug and when released, will expand outwardly against thewalls of the cavity so that the hooks 16 will engage beneath the hookedflange 20 to attach the plug to the tongs.

Let us assume that it is desired to place the head gasket 22 and thecylinder head 23 upon the cylinder block 21. The lower portions 18 of aplurality of the plugs are inserted into a chosen plurality of thethreaded cap screw sockets 24 of the head, as shown in FIG. 6, with thelarger upper portions 17 resting on the upper extremity of the threadstherein. The head gasket 22 is now fitted over the upwardly projectingportions 17 of the plugs to accurately align the gasket in register withthe openings in the cylinder block 21. The cylinder head 23 is nowfitted over the upwardly projection portions 17 of the plugs, as shownin FIG. 7, to accurately position the head on the block. Since all ofthe threaded sockets 24 do not contain plugs, the conventional capscrews can now be threaded into place in the available sockets 2.4 tosecure the head 23 and the gasket 22 in place. The tongs are nowcompressed and inserted into the screw passages 25 and into the cavities19 of the plugs so that the hooks 16 will engage the hooked flanges 20to enable the plugs to be removed in succession and replaced by theconventional cap screws with full assurance that the parts are inaccurate position.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be variedwithin the scope of the appended claim, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is:

Means for aligning and holding cylinder heads and cylinder head gasketsin place on a cylinder block having threaded cap screw socketscomprising: a removable cylindrical plug having a smooth outer surface,the lower portion of said plug having a diameter to fit closely withinone of said threaded screw sockets and the upper portion of said plughaving a larger diameter substantially equal to the root diameter of thethreads in said socket so that it cannot enter therein; a cylindricalcavity formed in said upper portion opening to the top thereof; aninwardly extending hooked flange surrounding the opening of said cavityfor receiving a withdrawing tool for lifting said plug from saidthreaded cap screw sockets after the cylinder head and gaskets have beenplaced on said cylinder block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,781,807 Labbee Feb. 19, 1957 2,816,473 Labbee Dec. 17, 1957 FOREIGNPATENTS 488,963 Great Britain July 18, 1938

